1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a block-type roll stand arrangement for single strand rolling including roll stand housings mounted on a support structure. The roll stand housings are all of the same construction and each receives a pair of roll support shafts and the drive gear units therefor. The roll stand housings are arranged one behind the other with the roll support shafts being alternatingly inclined at an angle relative to the rolling line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Roll stand arrangements of this type are used, inter alia, as finishing sections in wire rolling mills which are operated continuously at very high rolling speeds. Accordingly, the support structure of the roll stand arrangement must have a high stiffness in longitudinal and transverse directions and must be resistant to vibrations to a high degree, so that the quality of the wire travelling through the roll stand arrangement is ensured with respect to cross-sectional dimensions and surface properties.
In a roll stand arrangement disclosed in EP-B1-165 673, the support structure is composed of a single-piece, relatively heavy steel plate as a base plate, wherein a vertically extending additional steel plate as a web plate is welded onto the steel plate to form an inverted T-cross-section. A plurality of pairs of plate support members are placed vertically on the base plate, wherein the plate support members rest with their vertical side edges alternatingly against one or the other of the side surfaces of the web plate and the plate support members are welded to the web plate and to the base plate. The plate support members have support surfaces extending in pairs parallel and at an angle to the horizontal, wherein side flanges are placed on the support surfaces, and wherein the side flanges are arranged on the sides of the roll stand housing and can be screwed to the plate support members.
This support structure for the roll stand arrangement has a relatively high weight because of the large amount of material required for the base plate and the web plate.